Queens Borough President Donovan Richards strapped on a hard hat Monday and walked the Etihad Park construction site, calling it New York City’s first professional soccer stadium and the long-awaited future home of New York City FC. The 25,000-seat Etihad Park is climbing out of the ground in Willets Point next to Citi Field and is being billed as Major League Soccer’s first fully electric stadium. Officials say the privately financed project is set to open in 2027 and will bring new jobs, affordable housing and public space to the neighborhood. For a corner of Queens that has spent years living with renderings and promises, the steel and concrete are starting to make those plans feel real.
Welcome to Etihad Park, NYC’s first pro soccer stadium and @newyorkcityfc's future home! Etihad Park will not only seat 25,000 fans, but it will also be @MLS' first all-electric stadium once it opens in 2027. Grateful for today's tour and the boost the stadium will give Queens! https://t.co/35le7OWCE5
— Donovan Richards (@qnsbprichards) March 9, 2026
Officials and financing
New York City FC describes the stadium as a privately financed, roughly $780 million, 25,000-seat venue that will be the first fully electric professional sports stadium in the city and in MLS, sitting at the center of a new 23-acre Willets Point neighborhood. According to New York City FC, the project will also bring retail, office space, a 650-seat public school and a community plaza known as City Square.
Design, sustainability and neighborhood plans
City Hall is framing Etihad Park as a key piece of a broader Willets Point overhaul expected to deliver 2,500 affordable homes, a 650-seat public school and tens of thousands of construction and permanent jobs, while emphasizing that the stadium itself is privately financed. In a statement, officials said the stadium’s all-electric design supports the city’s climate goals as Willets Point shifts from the so-called “Valley of Ashes” into a mixed-use neighborhood. According to Mayor’s Office projections, the wider redevelopment is expected to generate roughly $6.1 billion in economic activity over time.
Timing and where NYCFC will play in the meantime
The club had previously circled an opening ahead of the 2027 MLS season, but reporting in mid February indicated that the debut has been pushed to the summer of 2027 to line up with MLS shifting its calendar. As ESPN notes, NYCFC will continue to play many home matches at Yankee Stadium and Citi Field during the 2027 transition season while construction wraps up in Queens. The club and city say the updated timeline is tied to league scheduling rather than any change in commitment to getting the stadium built.
What fans and neighbors should expect next
NYCFC and the stadium site are urging fans to sign up for deposits and membership information through the project website, which the club is using to build its future season-ticket base. The team has also said no new public parking will be added around Etihad Park, so match day parking will lean on existing arrangements with the Mets at Citi Field. The stadium website outlines how supporters can reserve seats and receive updates as work continues. For tickets and official notices, see EtihadPark.com.
For Queens, the visible progress at Etihad Park is becoming a centerpiece of the borough’s redevelopment puzzle, with city officials pitching the stadium as a driver of jobs and community amenities while the club prepares the venue for kickoff. Local residents and fans are now watching the site closely, waiting for the moment the skeleton of a stadium turns into a full house for opening night.
